Bolt action firearm



F. F. BURTON BOLT ACTION FIREARM Dec. 28, 1937.

Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 28, 1937. F. F. BURTON BOLTACTION FIREARM Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 28,1937 UNITED STATES BOLT ACTION FIREARM Frank F. Burton, Mount Carmel,Conn., assignor to Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Conn.,a corporation of Maryland Application February 25, 1933, Serial No.658,562

13 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in bolt-action firearms andrelates in particular to means for locking the manual operating-memberthereof against effective operating movement 5 when the firing-pin is inother than its advanced or forward position. Such means is commonlyreferred to as an action lock.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bolt-action firearmwith simple, reliable and eiieotive means for releasably locking themanual breech-bolt operating-member against effective operating movementwhen the firing-pin is in other than its advanced position.v

A further object is to provide a bolt-action firearm having convenientandreliable locking means, as above referred to, and which may beproduced at a relatively low cost for manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the artfrom the following, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsand appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken view in side elevation of one form which .abolt-action rearm embodying the present invention may assume;

Fig. 2 is a broken view, mainly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection, of the receiver portion and immediately adjacent parts of sucha firearm, the breech-bolt being shown in its closed position and thefiring-pin and hammer being shown in the positions which they assumewhen a. cartridge is fired;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing the action-slide movedslightly rearwardly to take up the lost motion between the same and thebreech-bolt, thebreech-bolt being also shown by broken lines in itsfully retired position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the hammer as cocked, thebreech-bolt closed, the firingpn in its retired position, and theaction-slide latch in its latching position;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

45 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the breech-bolt detached, and showingthe action-slide latch and firing-pin in place therein;

Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view of the rear end of the action-slide;and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the action-slide latch.

The particular rearm herein chosen as illustrative of the presentinvention includes a receiver I having attached to its rear end theusual butt-.stock II and having projecting from its forward end theusual barrel I2. Mounted directly below the barrel I2 and arrangedparallel therewith is a tubular magazine I3 upon which is mounted, withcapacity for reciprocating movement, an action-slide handle I4 having arearwardly-projecting action-slide bar I5.

The rear end of the action-slide bar I above referred torides in alongitudinal guide-groove I6 formed in the inner face of the leftside-wall of the receiver I Il and opening inwardly into the hollowinterior of the said receiver in the usual manner of firearms of thetype illustrated. Adjacent its extreme rear end, the action-slide bar I5is provided with an inwardly-projecting cylindrically-contouredbolt-operating lug I1 entering into an inclined cam-Slot I8 formed inthe left side of a breech-bolt I9 mounted in the upper portion of thereceiver I with capacity for both longitudinal reciprocating andvertical rocking movement with respect thereto.

For convenience of description, the cam-slot I8 in the breech-bolt I9may be said to have a lifting cam-surface 20 gradually merging into thetop wall 2| of the cam-slot I8. Complementing the lifting cam-surface2l) is a depressing cam-surface 22 joined to the cam-surface 20 beforereferred to, by a substantially-semicircular reach 23 and merging intothe top wall 2I by a similarly-curved reach 24. It will be noted byreference to Fig. 6 in particular that the lifting cam-surface 20 ismore steeply inclined than is the depressing cam-surface 22, with theresult that the forward upper portion of the cam-slot I8 provides roomfor limited free play or idle movement of the bolt-operating lug I1therein. The lug Il and the slot I8 thusV serve to provide for thelost-motion connection of the action-slide bar I5 to the breech-bolt I9.

Above the cani-slot I8 the left side of the breech-bolt I9 is formedwith a recess 25 intersecting at its forward lower corner the upper endofthe said cam-slot I8, to permit the extension into the said slot of alatching-nger 2B extending downwardly and forwardly from a pivotalactionslide latch 21 located in the said recess 25. The said latch isprovided at its rear end with a pivotstud 28 rigidly secured thereto andprojecting inwardly therefrom for pivotal bearing in a bore 29 openinglaterally out of the rear end of the recess 25.

Adjacent its forward end, the action-slide latch 21 is formed with aninclined cam-slot 30 flared or widened toward its lower end and havingan inclined lifting cam-surface 3l and an inclined depressingcam-surface ,B I. The said cam-slot 3i] receives an operating-pin 32rigidly mounted in and laterally offsetting from a reciprocatingfiring-pin 33 and projecting through a longitudinal guide-slot 34 in theside wall of the breechbolt i9, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Thesaid firing-pin is arranged substantially longitudinally of the arm andreciprocates in a bore 35 formed in the breech-bolt I9 and openingthrough the rear end thereof to permit the projection of the rear end ofthe firing-pin therefrom. The forward end of the bore 35 has acontracted portion 36, as shown in Fig. 5, through which thefiring-point 31 formed upon the forward end of the firing-pin 33projects for engagement with a cartridge, in the usual manner ofbolt-action firearms.

At its rear end the bore 35 in the breech-bolt i9 is provided with anenlarged portion 38 in which bears the enlarged rear end 39 of thefiring-pin E33 and which results in the formation of a rearwardly-facingshoulder 4S engaged by the forward end of a helical retracting-spring 4Iencircling a portion of the said firing-pin and bearing at its rear endagainst the forwardly-facing shoulder 42 formed at the junction betweenthe firing-pin 33 proper and its enlarged portion 39. The said spring 4Iserves, on occasion, to move the firing-pin 33 rearwardly so as toengage its laterally projecting operating-pin 32 with the lower portionof the depressing cam-surface 3|a of the cam-slot 39 in the action-slidelatch 21.

When the firing-pin 33 is in its rearrnost position, its rear endprojects from the rear end of the bore 35 in the bolt I9 in position tobe struck by a hammer 43 of usual form and requiring no detaileddescription herein other than to say that it is released (for firing) inthe usual manner by a trigger 44.

The latching-nger 26 which forwardly and downwardly offsets from theaction-slide latch 2i is adapted to engage, on occasion, with arearwardly-facing latching-abutment forming a feature of thebolt-operating lug Il of the actionslide bar I5, and formed by notchingthe said lug as at 46.

At its forward end the breech-bolt I 9 is formed with a pair oflocking-lugs 4'I and 48 (Figs. 5 and 6) respectively offset therefrom inopposite directions and entering suitable notches 49 and 5? formed inthe upper portion of the side walls of the receiver I0. The entry of thelocking-lugs 4l and 48 of the breech-bolt into the notches 49 and 5Brespectively takes place when thesaid breech-bolt is moved into itsclosed position and serve to prevent the said breech-bolt from movingrearwardly as the result of the ring of the cartridge.

For convenience of description, let it be presumed that the action-slidebar I5 has been manually moved by means of its handle I4 to the limit ofYits forward movement after the hammer 43 has been cocked by a previousrearward travel of the breech-bolt I9. With the parts in the positionsreferred to, the bolt-operating lug I1 cf the action-slide bar I5 willbe located in the forward upper portion of the cam-slot I8 in engagementwith the depressing cam-surface v22. The ring-pin 33 will, under thesecircumstances, have been retired to the limit of its rearward movementby the spring 4I and will have acted through the intermediary of itsoperating-pin 32 and the depressing cam-surface 3la to swing theaction-slide latch 2l' downwardly to interpose the latching-nger 26thereof in the path of the rearward travel of the latching-abutment 45on the bolt-operating lug il so that the action-slide bar I5 will thusbe prevented, for the time being, from being moved rearwardly, as forinstance by an inadvertent rearward pull upon the handle I4.

If, now, the trigger 44 is pulled to permit the hammer 43 to drive thefiring-pin forwardly for firing a cartridge, in which position it isshown in Fig. 2, the action slide latch 2l will be swung upwardly by theforward firing motion of the firing-pin as just referred to, with theeffect of engaging the pin` 32 with the lifting cam-surface 3I to thuslift the latching-nger 26 out of the path of thefl-atching-abutment 45and thereby release the action-slide bar I5 for rearward travel. It willbe noted that-the unlatching of the actionslide bar I5 asjust describedis completed only when the firing-pin 33 is substantially at the limitof its forward'travel and is not dependent upon some action antecedentto the firing movement of the said ring-pin, so that if, when the gun isred, the user is pressing rearwardly upon the action-slide handle I4,the said action-slide bar I5 will not be released for moving thebreechbolt from its fully-closed position until the cartridge hasactually been fired.

After the action-slide bar l5 has been unlatched as above described, themanual rearward movement thereof will disengage the now-unlatchedbolt-operating lug Il' from the depressing cam-surface 22 of thecam-slot I8 in the breechbolt I9 and after a limited amount of freetravel or lost motion will engage the said lug with the liftingcam-surface 2B. The further rearward travel of the action-slide bar i5will cause the said lug Il' (acting upon the lifting cam-surface 2U) tof swing the forward end of theV bolt I9 upwardly and when the said lugbecomes engaged with the curved reach 23 of the slot I 8, thelocking-lugs 4l and 48 of the bolt I9 will have been lifted clear of thelocking-notches 49 and 5U and the said breech-bolt I9 will be movedrearwardly by the lug I'I into the position in which it is shown bybroken lines in Fig. 3.

The rearward travel of the breech-bolt I9, as lust above described,serves to cock the hammer 43 and thus permits the spring 4I to move thering-pin rearwardly with the effect of engaging the operating-pin 32with the depressing camsurface 3|a of the latch 2'! to swing the forwardend of the said latch downwardly. The forceful depression or" the latch21 as just described will take place onlyV in the event that the samehas not previously fallen by gravity during the rearward travel of thefiring-pin with respect to the breech-bolt.

With the breech-bolt in its fully-retired position and the hammer 43cocked as above described, a new cartridge may be inserted into thebarrel I2; then, when the action-slide bar I5 is moved forwardly by theuser of the arm, the boltoperating lug Il will be thereby caused toexert a concurrent effort to move the breech-bolt I9 bodily forwardlyand swing the forward end of the same downwardly, but inasmuch as thelocking-lugs 4l and 48 are at this time riding upon the upper edges of'the respective side walls of the receiver, no other than a forwardmovement of the bolt can result until such time as the said lugs arebrought into registration with the locking notches 49 and 5U.

W'hen the lugs 4l and 48 have been brought fully into registration withtheir respective notches 49 and the continued forward movement of theaction slide will depress the forward end of the said breech-bolt toseat the lugs 4l' Cil and 48 in their respective locking-notches 49 andi). Shortly before the action-slide bar l5 reaches the limit of itsforward movement, the bolt-operating lug il thereof will have engagedthe under side of the iatching-finger 26 which is being at this timebodily depressed with the bolt. The said lug will momentarily swing thelatch 21 upwardly with respect to the bolt, with the effect of slightlymoving the firing-pin 33 forwardly, but when the latch-abutment 45 hasadvanced into registration with the forward face of the latching-nger26, the latch will be immediately swung downwardly by the urge of thespring 4i acting through the firing-pin 33,y operating-pin 32 anddepressing cam-surface Sie.

The parts will now have been restored to the positions in which they areshown in Fig. 4, preparatory to another cycle oi operations.

In the event that it is desired, for `any reason, to open the breech ofthe gun Without causing the hammer i3 to strike the firing-pin 33 in theusual manner, the said ring-pin may be manually moved against thetension of the spring lll, by pressing with the finger upon its rearend, to thus forcibly lift the latching-flnger 26 of the actionslidelatch 2l' out of the path of the latchingabutment 45, as beforedescribed.

In the construction herein shown and described, the latch 2l ispositively moved into both its unlatching and latching positions by theoperatingpin 32 on the firing-pin 33. Thus, the movement of the saidlatch as above referred to may be said to occur concurrently with themovement of the tiring-pin, despite the limited free movement of theoperating-pin i2 in the slot Sil of the said latch.

The invention may be carried out in other speciic ways than that hereinset forth Without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment istherefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

l. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating ring-pin carried by the said breech-boltand having a laterally-elisetting operating-projection; amanually-reciprocatable action-slide having lost-motion connection tothe said breechbolt for operating the same; and a latch-member acting toreleasably check the rearward movement of the said action-slide withrespect to the said breech-bolt and provided with a cam-surface engagedby the laterally-oiisetting operatingprojection of the said firing-pinfor being positively and concurrently moved into its unlatching positionby the said iiring-pin during the iring movement thereof.

2. In a bolt-action rearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating firing-nin carried by the saidbreech-bolt and having a laterally-offsetting operating-'projection; amanually-reciprocatable action-slide having lost-motion connectionto/the said breech-bolt for operating the saine; and a latch-membercarried by the said breech-bolt and acting to releasably check therearward movement of the said action-slide with respect to the saidbreechbolt and provided with a cam-surface engaged by thelaterally-offsetting operating-projection of the said ring-pin for beingmoved into its unlatching position by the ring movement of the saidfiring-pin.

3. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating ring-pin carried by the said breech-boltand having a laterally-protruding operating-projection; amanually-reciprocatable action-slide having lost-motion connection tothe said breechbolt for operating the same; and a pivotal latchmembercarried by the said breech-bolt and acting to releasably check therearward movement of the said action-slide with respect to the saidreech-bolt and provided with a cam-surface engaged by thelaterally-protruding operatingprojection of the said firing-pin forbeing turned into its unlatching position by the firing movement of thesaid firing-pin.

i. In a bolt-action rearm, the combination with a movable breech-bolt;of a ring-member, a manual operating-member operatively connected to thesaid breech-bolt for operating the saine; a latch-member for releasablychecking the breech-opening movement of the said operating-member; anddouble-acting actuatingmeans, including a latch-actuating abutmentrigidly carried by the said ring-pin, operatively interconnecting thesaid iiring-member and the said latch-member, the said double-actingactuating-means serving to cause the positive movement of the saidlatch-member into its unlatching position in response to andconcurrently with the firing movement of the said ring-member, and tocause the positive movement of the said latching-member into itslatching position in response to and concurrently with the retiringmovement of the said firing-member.

5. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a movable breech-bolt;of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the said breech-bolt; a manualoperating-member connected to said breech-bolt for operating the sameand having movement with respect thereto; a latch-member acting toreleasably check the movement of the said operating-member; andactuating-means, including a latch-actuating abutment rigidly carried bysaid firing-pin, serving to operatively connect the said latch-member tothe said firingpin in such manner as to cause the firing movement of thesaid firing-pin to positively and concurrently move the saidlatch-member into its unlatching position.

6. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a movable breech-bolt;of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the said breech-bolt; a manualoperating-member connected to said breech-bolt for operating the sameand having movement with respect thereto; a latch-member carried by thesaid breech-bolt and acting to vreleasably check the movement of thesaid operating-member; and actuating-means, including a latch-actuatingabutment rigidly carried by the said firing-pin, serving to operativelyconnect the said latch-member to the said iling-pin in such manner as tocause the ring movement of the said iring-pin to positively andconcurrently move the said latch-member into its unlatching position.

'7. In a bolt-action rearm, the combination with a movable breech-bolt;of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the said breech-bolt; a manualoperating-member connected to said breech-bolt for operating the sameand having movement with respect thereto; a latch-member acting toreleasably check the movement of the said operating-member; spring-meansurging the Zio said ring-pin into its retired position; andactuating-means, including a latch-actuating abutment rigidly carried bythe said firing-pin, serving to operatively interconnect the saidlatchmember and the said firing-pin in such manner as to cause thefiring movement of the said ring-member to positively and concurrentlymove the said latch-member into its unlatching position and to cause theretiring movement of the said iring-pin under the urge of the saidspringmeans to cause the movement of the said latchmember into itslatching position.

8. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a manually reciprocatable action-slide connected to saidbreech-bolt for operating the same and having movement With respectthereto; a latchmember acting to releasably check the movement of thesaid action-slide; spring-means urging the said ring-pin into itsretired position; and actuating-means, including a latch-actuatingabutment rigidly carried by the said ring pin, serving to operativelyinterconnect the said latch-member and the said firing-pin in suchmanner as to cause the firing movement of the said firing-member topositively and concurrently move the said latch-member into itsunlatching position and to cause the retiring movement of the saidring-pin under the urge of the said spring-means to cause the movementof the said latch-member into its latching position.

9. In a bolt-action rearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating ring-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a hammer for driving the said iiring-pin into its ringposition; a manually-reciprocating actionslide connected to the saidbreech-bolt for operating the same and having movement with respectthereto; a latch-member acting to releasably check the movement of thesaid actionslide; and actuating-means including a latchactuatingabutment rigidly carried by the said firing-pin serving to operativelyconnect said latch-member to the said firing-pin in such manner as tocause the said firing-pin when struck by the said hammer to positivelyand concurrently move the said latch-member into its unlatcl'n'ngposition.

l0. In a bolt-action rearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating ring-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a hammer for driving the said firing-pin into its firingposition; a manually reciproca-table actionslide connected to the saidbreech-bolt for operating the same and having movement With respectthereto; a latch-member acting to releasably check the movement of thesaid actionslide; spring-means urging the said ring-pin into its retiredposition; and actuating-means, including a latch-actuating abutmentrigidly carried by the sai-d firing-pin operatively interconnecting thesaid latch-member to said riring-pin in such manner as to cause themovement of the said firing-pin under the urge of the said hammer toeifect the positive and concurrent movement'of the said latching-memberinto its unlatching position and to cause the retiring movement of thesaid ring-pin under the urge of the said spring-means to effect themovement of the said latch-member into its latching position.

l1. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a manual operating-member having lost-motion connection tothe said breech-bolt for operating the same; a latch-member acting toreleasably check the movement of the said operating-member in thedirection for taking up the lost motion of the connection between thesame and the said breech-bolt; and actuating-means including alatch-actuating abutment rigidly carried by the said firing-pin, servingto operatively connect the said latch-member to the said ring-pin insuch manner as to cause the ring movement of the said firing-pin topositively and concurrently move the said latch-member into itsunlatching position.

12. In a bolt-action firearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a hammer for driving the said ring-pin into its firingposition; a manually-reciprocatable action-slide having lost-motionconnection to the said breech-bolt for operating the same; a latchmemberacting to releasably check the movement of the said action-slide in thedirection for taking up the lost motion of the connection between thesame and the said breech-bolt; and actuatingmeans, including alatch-actuating abutment rigidly carried by the said firing-pin, servingto operatively connect said latch-member to the said ming-pin in suchmanner as to cause the said firing-pin when struck by the said hammer topositively and concurrently move the said latch-member into itsunlatching position.

13. In a bolt-action iirearm, the combination with a retractablebreech-bolt; of a reciprocating firing-pin carried by the saidbreech-bolt; a hammer for driving the said ring-pin into its firingposition; a manually-reciprocatable action-slide having lost-motionconnection to the said breech-bolt for operating the same; a latchmemberacting to releasably check the movement of the said action-slide in thedirection for taking up the lost motion of the connection between thesame and the said breech-bolt; spring-means urging the said firing-pininto its retired position; and actuating-means including alatch-actuating abutment rigidly carried by the said firing-pin,operatively interconnecting the said latch-member to said iiring-pin insuch manner as to cause the movement of the said ring-pin under the urgeof the said hammer to effect the positive and concurrent movement of thesaid latching-member into its unlatching position and to cause theretiring movement of the said ringpin under the urge of the saidspring-means to

